Wednesday, 04/25/2001, 9:26 p.m.
In a beige-walled room, decorated with supermarket calendars and a framed embroidery of the kanji "family" at its center, several people were gathered.
A floor lamp cast a warm glow over the center of the room.
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
A pendulum clock marked the time from one corner: 9:22 p.m.
A turned-off black square TV rested on a low brown cabinet, next to a row of VHS tapes.
On the coffee table, several brochures on "emotional management" and "prevention of violent behavior" were neatly stacked.
The gray curtains, drawn to the sides, let in the yellowish light of a streetlamp and revealed the nighttime activity of Domino City.
Shin Osako sat at the end of the maroon main sofa, his expression serene. He wore a white T-shirt and black sweatpants, his back straight and his hands folded in his lap.
Across from Shin, in a mahogany armchair, sat a middle-aged woman with short, tied-up hair and glasses hanging from a chain. She had an open notebook on her lap and a pen in hand. Without raising her voice, she asked while jotting something down:
"So… How did you feel today on your first day back at school after the incident, Shin?"
Shin looked up for a moment. The lamp cast soft shadows under his eyes. His voice came out calm.
"It was pretty normal. I was assigned to class 2B."
The scent of recent food lingered in the air.
From the kitchen, the sound of dishes and spoons mixed with boiling water. Shin's grandmother peeked briefly from the sliding door's threshold and asked:
"Would you like some tea? And you, Mrs. Kawabata? The water's already boiling."
Mrs. Kawabata smiled and nodded before speaking, her expression serene.
"Thank you very much, Mrs. Osako, I'd be happy to."
Shin's grandfather, sitting on a folding chair by the window, silently read a newspaper. Sometimes he glanced toward his grandson and Mrs. Kawabata, other times he grimaced at what he read. Shin's mother, standing closer by the hallway entrance, was reading a book titled Japanese Law: An Economic Approach...
Kawabata resumed after a short sigh.
"Haaa... Was there anything that made you uncomfortable today? Any difficult situations?"
Shin shook his head and replied, scratching his chin.
"No. Everything was fine. Normal classes. Introductions and stuff…"
The woman nodded and then jotted something down in her notebook. After a brief pause, she spoke with a casual tone.
"And your teachers? Did they seem strict?"
Shin made a slight face and then replied indifferently:
"Strict? No. Although one of them asked why I joined in the middle of the semester… I said it was for personal reasons… Like I said, nothing important."
Kawabata nodded slightly, her expression serious. Then she spoke.
"You handled it well… Hmm… Do you plan to join any club? It'll help with the adjustment."
Shin lowered his gaze to his hands. His posture became slightly stiff, and he muttered:
"I haven't decided yet. Also, with my new part-time job, I don't know… I'd rather not join any club for now."
Kawabata gave a small smile. Her expression remained calm as she wrote in her notebook. A second more, a second less, lifting her pen, she said:
"Take your time. There's no need to rush. We'll talk about this later."
Shin's grandmother arrived with a tray of tea and milk sweets, which she set on the table. She served five cups: one for Shin, one for Mrs. Kawabata, and the rest for Shin's mother, grandfather, and herself. Shin's mother drank her tea in place, leaving her book on the table.
Several minutes passed. Shin answered each of Mrs. Kawabata's questions...
Handing his cup to his wife, Shin's grandfather folded his newspaper across his lap and then quietly commented:
"Kid, you should have more contact with people your age. Otherwise, when you're my age, you'll be lonelier than an owl."
Shin nodded silently, a strange look on his face. Yumiko chuckled softly beside her mother, who shook her head. Kawabata took a sip of her tea before closing her notebook and speaking in a conciliatory tone:
"Ahem! That's all for today, Shin. You're making good progress. Just keep being consistent, and if something bothers you at school or… anywhere else, speak up… Tomorrow I'll be visiting your school to follow up on a few things. Don't get nervous if you see me there, alright?"
Shin nodded silently. He stood and gave a slight bow. His mother also nodded. The grandfather stayed put, looking out the window.
After gathering her things, Shin's grandmother walked Mrs. Kawabata to the entrance and said goodbye:
"Until your next visit, Mrs. Kawabata. Have a good night."
Mrs. Kawabata nodded, started her car, and then drove off quietly, disappearing into the city's nighttime traffic...
Whooosh!
A gust of wind suddenly blew in front of the house.
Shadows flickered strangely under the streetlamp's light.
The curtains of a second-floor window fluttered briefly...
Inside the room were two figures—one was Shin, and the other a ghostly being that floated slightly above the wooden floor: Zul-Karun. Shin spoke, his expression calm and his tone dry.
"You've returned? Good. What did you find out?"
Zul-Karun replied immediately, his tone unchanged:
"The mortal named Gakuto Osako… is still alive…"